Divider board for filing drawers



Feb. 14, 1928. 1,659,119

E. H. PENNING DIVIDER BOARD FOR FILING DRAWERS Filed Sept. 1. 1926 [PU i 5 W MdZ/bl?! J Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE I I. PENITING, 0F SPENCER, IOWA.

DIVIDER BOARD FOR FILING DRAWERS.

Application filed September 1, 1926. Serial No. $2,971.

The object of my invention is to provide a divider board for filing drawers of simple, durable and comparatively ii'iexpeusive construction.

A further object is to provide such boards for use in a filing drawer for faciliiating mined degree whereby some of the boards when in use in a filing drawer canbe tipped forward and some can be tipped backward for gaining access to a desired paper filed in the drawer.

Still a further object is to provide for the adjustability of the limiting means whereby the boards may fit different sizes of filing drawers or the amount of tipping of the boards may be governed.

Still afurther object is to provide a fleaible connection at the lower ends of pairs of the boards whereby the papers, etc, filed therebetween serve to keep the boards in proper position by preventing their accidental removal from the filing drawer.

Still a further object is to provide simple means-for adapting my divider board as a follower board at the rear eudof the tiling drawer.

With these and other objects in view, my

invention consists in the construction, ar-

rangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects con-' templated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of a filing drawer illustrating papers filed therein with a plurality of my divider boards in use.

Figure 2, is a sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3, is a perspective view of the divider board.

Figure 1, is a perspective view of a thimble used on the divider board.

Figure 5, is a perspective view of a pair of divider boards connected together at their lower ends.

Figure 6, illustrates a slightly modified form of divider board, and

Figure 7,.is an edge view of the divider board illustrated in Figure 6.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally a filing drawer of the usual type. It is customary to have a series of indexed folders 12 thereinwhich are made of cardboard or the like and are for containing letters 14;, etc, in proper alphabetic order. It is also customary to have a follower board at the back of, the folders 12 for properly supporting the entire filing matter when it is leaning backward.

Inasmuch as the folders 12 are semi-fiercible, it is difficult to keepthem orderly they have a tendency to bend and work downward in the filing drawer until some of them are under others.

I have found that a few rigid members or divider boards 16 placed in the filing drawer 10 and resting on the bottom thereof as illustrated in Figure 1, prevent disarrangement of the folders 12. Those divider boards support the folders when leaning either forward or backward and yet allow ease-of accessibility to the letters 1%, etc, which is obvious by reference to Figure 1 which shows some of the-boards 16 leaning forward and some backward.

To limit the amount of leaning of the divider boards 16 I provide thiinbles 18 for coacti'ng with the sides ofthe filing drawer. The thimbles 18 are merely short pieces of sheet-metal bent to form a rectangular tube or sleeve and are received in notches 20 in the sides of the divider boards near the top thereof.

A series of the notches 20 are provided for selectively receiving the thimbles 18 whereby the divider boards ma be adjusted for use in filing drawers having different depths. The thimbles 18 may also be adjusted for limiting the tipping movement of the dlvider boards to any desired degree.

A retaining rod 22 is found in the usual filing drawer and I provide an eye 24: on my divider board for receiving this rod to preventremoval of the divider board from the filing drawer.

For adapting the rearmost divider board in the filing drawer for replacing the fol lower board usually found in filing drawers, 1 place a block 26 between said board and the back of the drawer. This spaces the hottom of the board from the back of the drawer and due to the weight of the papers filed in the drawer the board assuines a posit-ion leaning backward with the thimbles 18 engaging the sides of the drawer.

When no retaining rod is provided. pairs of the divider boards 16 may be connected together by a flexible member 28 such as a piece of canvas as illustrated in Figure 5.

By this construction the weight of the :lolders 12 and their contents filed between the divider boards, serve to keep the boards in proper position resting on the bottom of the filing drawer and to prevent accidental removal of them.

In Figures 6 and T, have shown a slight lv modified foru' of divider board comprising afsheet-nietal member 30 having a perforated ear 32 and openings 3st out therein to reduce the weight of the board. In place of thimbles I provide a plate 36 to serve as a stop for limiting the degree of inclination of the board 30.

The plate 36 is adjustably arranged relative to the board 30 in the following de scribed manner. Slots 38 in the plate 36 and holes all) in the board 32 are provided for bolts 42. Wine; nuts L are employed to securely clamp the board and plate together. Adjustmentis made by loosening the wing nuts all and sliding the plate 36 to the de sired position after which the wing nuts are tightened.

From the foregoing it will be seen that- 1 have provided a divider board, several of which may be inserted in a filing drawer to divide the matter filed therein into groups and to impartits rigidity to the groups whereby the files are kept orderly.

The divider boards mavbe swung either forwardly or backwardlv for gaining access to the matter filed in the drawer and the boards. being limited to the degree of tip pine, do not work under the tiles.

The boards, by preventing undue tipping or bending of the files. keep them from working down under each other. By placing: the block 26 behind the rearinost divider board. it serves excellently as a follower board and replaces the expensive type of follower board having a clutch for gripping: the rod 2:2.

Some changes may be made in the details of the structure of my divider board for filing drawers without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention and it is my intention to cover by my claims. any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical etplivalents, which may be rcai onably included within the scope of such claims and of my real inv :ntion.

I claim as my invention:

1. A divider board for filing drawer: eon'iprising a rigid member adapted to rest on the bottom of the drawer. projections on the sides thereof for coactii'ip; with the sides ofthe drawer when said rigid member is tipped forwardly or backwardly, said projections being adjustable as to height for varying the angle at which said rigid 1ne1uber may be tipped.

2. A divider board for tiling drawers-s comprising a rigid member adapted to n! on the bottom of the drawer, a series of slots in the sides of said rigid member and adjm'cnt the top thereof. thimbles selectively received .in said slots for limiting the angle at which said member may be tipped, said tl'iimbles serving to limit the tipping of the members equally on either side of their VP'" tical position.

-3. .i divider board for filing d 'awcra comprising, a rigid member adapted to rest on thebottom of the drawer, a series of slots in the sides of said rigid member and adja cent the top thereof, thimbles selectivelr received in said slots for limiting the anal at which said meuiber may be tipped. said thimbles serving to limit the tipping of the members equally on either side of their vertical position. a flexible member courier-tour the lower ends of two of. said rigid members whereby papers, when filed therebetween. will serve to prevent removal of the rigid men'ibers.

LA divider board for filing drawers comprising a rigid member adapted to rest on the bottomoi the (flrawer, projections on the sides thereof for enacting with the side; of the drawer when said rigid member is tipped ll'aekwardly. said projections being adjustable as to liein'ht for vaii'ying the angle at which said rigid member may be tipped and a spacer between said board and the back of the filing drawer whereby the divider board serves as a follower board.

EUGENE H. PENNING.

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